Beautiful Mornings
by Absol Master
Summary: Kent is always being hardworking, and never taking breaks to admire what is around him, but Fiora shows him just what he is missing. With her own life. [Oneshot, onesided FioraKent]


A/N: This is my first tragedy fic, i.e. someone died and didn't come back to life ;( sniff

I'm JUST not used to such sad stories.

I know this is wrong to say, but...hope you enjoy it. The story, at least.

* * *

The first rays of soft gold sunlight shone upon the army's camp, which lay a minute's walk from a nearby village. The activities of the morning had just begun. People were eating their breakfasts, talking to each other, and polishing their weapons. Among them, morning songbirds twittered, and drops of dew hung on the points of each blade of grass. The distant ringing chimes of the church bell rang out, telling them it was nine o'clock. 

"This reminds me of a Sacaean folk song I used to hear when I was young," Lyn said, sitting back and staring into the azure sky. "Let's see how it began..."

Lyn took a while to recall the words, before she began to sing.

"I can hear a rooster crowing,

Piercing as a thistle thorn

Through my window, light is flowing

From the rising sun of morn."

Kent, Marcus and the tactician Absol looked up from their battle plan. "That's a nice song," they heard Nils comment.

"Your voice is only fitting for your beauty!" Sain exclaimed.

"Let's get back to planning," Kent said, looking back at the piece of paper the three shared.

"No, that's enough work for today," Absol said, standing and stretching. "We won't be moving on till day after tomorrow. Go on, Lyn."

Shaking his head, Kent looked back at the sheet of paper and continued to think, while Lyn carried on singing, as requested by everyone else. "Now...shouldn't take too many people along for the next battle. Don't want to risk too many. So...who should go?" he said to himself.

He heard someone walking towards him, but did not bother to see who it was. "Always so hardworking," Fiora's voice said disapprovingly from above him. "I wonder, when was the last time you actually noticed a rooster crowing?"

Come to think of it, he could not remember the last time he had enjoyed the sounds of the morning. "I guess I am working a little too hard," he replied finally, standing and rolling up the plan. "But the next battle is crucial. It would be a dishonour to Lady Lyndis if I did not help to plan."

"Come on, Kent," Fiora answered, exasperated. "You're doing all the work! Loosen up a bit, will you?" Was that a hint of jealousy he detected in her voice? "You know, I can't wait for the next morning like this. I always enjoy them. Mornings like this are getting hard to come by." Kent wondered if this was so. He never took any notice.

"Anyway, next time," Fiora went on, "If you get too stressed out, take a look at the morning. It'll surely make you feel happy."

"Perhaps I'll find that useful," Kent replied, looking for his breakfast.

"Oh, all the food's finished," Fiora added, walking away. "You'll have to wait till lunch."

"But breakfast is the most important meal of the day..."

Clearly, Fiora was not listening. Kent went to the armoury to begin polishing his lances, without his breakfast. _I don't see why Fiora cares whether I am stressed or not. As long as I do my job, I'm happy._

These days passed on like fleeting moments, and too soon, the army found itself in the midst of a battle to guard Nils from the Black Fang.

The plan for this battle had been done mainly by Kent. Everyone had thought he was just too hardworking for his own good, but most of them were now thankful he had done it. There was going to be a hard battle ahead.

As Kent had planned, Fiora was to kill the enemies further away, then open the chests with her keys. It was a risk, sending one person out with no one to help her, but Kent believed she was good enough for that job.

Fiora flew bravely on, when she encountered an archer. Quickly, she whipped out her steel lance, and dodging his arrows, finished him in one blow.

Or so she thought.

The archer was still alive. With one shot, he brought Fiora's pegasus down, before he fell back to the ground. Fiora had not a moment to react. Her head met with the ground, and she was crushed under the power of the impact.

She had taken the risk, and fallen. And it was because Kent had made her do so.

_My fault. Mine, and mine alone._

Kent rushed between the battling people, trying to get to Fiora as fast as possible. _Maybe it wasn't too late to save her..._ Hoping for the best, he hurried on to where he had seen her fall. _I let her get hurt. It's only right that I try to get her to safety_.

Finally, Kent found her, her clothes wet with blood. Her own blood. The sight made Kent dizzy, but now was not the time to be afraid. Quickly, he lifted her off the ground. Her blood stained his hands, and as he laid her down on his horse, he saw that she was still breathing. Feebly, she smiled, before her eyes closed. But she continued to breathe. She was alive.

Kent looked back at Fiora's Pegasus. It was dead. The impact had shattered its skull, and bent one wing out of joint. Trying not to imagine the pain it must have gone through in its last moment, he turned and rode back to the holding tent as fast as the wind.

"She's alive, but she can't walk. She might not be able to battle again."

Those last words from Absol drove the most guilt into Kent's heart. Battling was Fiora's life. He had always admired her faithfulness to her country, and the power it gave her in battle. But now, thanks to his _strategy_, she would never get to go into battle again.

Earlier, they had won. The rest of Kent's plan had worked out well, but there had not been much glory in that. All he could think was that part of it had failed.

_I could have done it myself, I could have made everything different. But I didn't. I led Fiora straight into danger._

Kent soon realized that he was alone in the tent, with Fiora lying silently on the bed. "Kent..." he heard her gasp, hardly audible. Kent turned and went to her bedside.

"Fiora...sorry," Kent said . "I never thought it would be this bad..."

"No...It was because I was weak..." Fiora replied. "I let my guard down." Looking at her, Kent saw that her head had been bandaged, as well as her arms and one leg. Blood still blossomed on the cloth like scarlet flowers. He sighed. _I caused those injuries. _

"You can't walk anymore," Kent answered to that, looking away. "You'll never get to fight again, and all because of me."

"That doesn't matter," she sighed back. "I tried. I did my best. And I hope that makes you happy..."

Her voice was slowly fading.

_Is she going to leave, so soon?_

"Fiora!" Kent shouted, looking down at her face. "You are stronger than that!" He was desperate.

_Fiora, not now! We need you..._

Fiora shook her head slowly. "What use is my life anymore? Even the one whom I love doesn't know I love him..."

Then, she looked up at him and smiled. "You don't, do you?" she asked simply. Kent took a step back. "Fiora?" he asked. _Did she really mean..._

"You don't know that, all this while..." She suddenly stopped, gasping for air. "...All this while—I've been wishing that...that I could tell you..."

Finally, after an awkward silence, she breathed out a few words. "I...I love you."

Fiora's breaths became short and weak. The brightness in her eyes was suddenly fading, fading...

Kent felt completely helpless, standing there and watching as she left. "F-Fiora...Fiora!" he shouted in panic. "Stay, stay just a little longer...!"

But she was gone. No sound came from her now, there was no trace of life on her face.

Kent walked blindly out into the morning air. The sunlight poured down from the clouds, throwing its light upon the dewy plains. But this was not enough to heal the wound of guilt in his heart. _All my fault, mine…_

As he looked up unseeingly at the sky, Fiora's words returned to his mind.

"You know, I can't wait for the next morning like this. I always enjoy them. Mornings like this are getting hard to come by."

_She hadn't even lived to see this..._

"Maybe I must really loosen up," he said to no one in particular. "Fiora told me that looking at the morning would help me not be so sad." Then, looking back at the sky, he saw, for the first time, how beautiful the morning really was. And in his mind, he heard the song.

"I can hear a rooster crowing,

Piercing as a thistle thorn.

Through my window, light is flowing

From the rising sun of morn.

Sunlight from behind the mountains

Turns the sky a rosen pearl.

From beside the water fountain,

I see soft white clouds unfurl.

Truly, now, the day has started,

Live with birds' victorious calls.

In the sky the winds have parted

Caring not of rain that falls.

I can hear the songbirds singing!

By the sound my heart is torn,

Far away, church bells are ringing

Signalling the start of morn."

And now, the song went deep into his heart, and for once, he felt true peace.

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A/N: And there you go! I don't know if I'm 

Reviews please! Never read and leave without dropping a review!


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